Ghosts of Saltmarsh by Dylanthalas

"Wow, it´s so cute!" Ruby says, looking at the tiny dragon on Elwyn´s shoulder with wide eyes and almost childlike curiosity. "Hi Azure." 

As a response to Ruby's comment Azure starts to vainly preen himself before looking back at Ruby with curious eyes, still sitting on Elwyns shoulder, and Ruby feel him communicating gratitude and affection into her mind.

Kulogall sends a message to Azure, saying “Greetings and a pleasure to know you!  You are working with a great man and I’m glad you are with us!”

Kulogall looks around for some rope, he fashions a belt / harness that he ties to the bag of holding, looping around his waist, also over his shoulders.  "So that it won't get swept away."  He takes off his backpack and stows all items into the bag of holding, and then cinches tight the ropes (in addition to the shoulder strap from the bag itself), to make sure the bag stays shut and secured to his body.  He straps one dagger to his leg, one dagger is strapped to his belt, and he has a blue/green crystal on a plain necklace around his neck, but all other items are inside the bag of holding.  

Kulogall has fun investigating the boulder and making plans for underwater sabotage.  He nods to Wake and Elwyn and they emerge on the shore.

((Before prior post))

All - After you finish a few dry runs of your plan and everyone is back aboard the ship, you begin the roughly two hour trip back to town. The moon is full tonight, illuminating the ocean when it is not hidden by clouds. After about an hour and a half of rowing it is close to 2am. A salty breeze blows hair and cloaks around a bit, but also carries the faint scent of smoke. As the nearby cliffs slide by and offer a view of Saltmarsh, you can see that it is burning. Flames completely engulf a few buildings, that burn brightly like signal fires in the night. Dark shapes hurry through the fire light and smoke and somewhere a bell tolls incessantly. Screams and shouts are carried to your ears on the smoke filled wind. You are roughly twenty minutes from the docks. What would you like to do?

Kulogall sees the danger ahead, knows they need to speed up to get to shore before everything is burned up.  He goes to the back of the boat, asks for Wake's assistance, uses shape water to essentially make a turning paddlewheel to push the boat forward faster in the water, trying to speed them along toward the shore.  

When they make it to shore, he jumps out and casts gust of wind to extinguish the unprotected flames, running from one building to the next, as many as he can reach in a minute.  After that if anyone is forming a bucket brigade he will use shape water to make the spread of the water as effective as he can.  

"Let's put out these fires!  Everyone, find out who set them!"

Ruby would go to the first person she sees once they leave the boat and ask them what happend or if they have any idea who did this. She would also like to keep an eye out for any fights happening nearby.

Perception:  12 

As Kulogall greets Azure the tiny blue dragon responds with a toothy grin and communicates friendship into his mind.

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When they spot Saltmarsh burning Azure immediately takes to the air and flies ahead (Fly speed 60 ft) and tries to assess the situation in town and reports back as quickly as possible.
Perception: 22

Elwyn tries to determine if he would get faster ashore by swimming, very eager to help the townsfolk.

Wake is much more concerned with the people than the structures so he runs with Ruby to the very first person that could be reached.

”Is anybody hurt? Where did it start?”

He imagines that the worst injuries will be with those that were caught unawares and in the flames the longest.

Ariana isn't sure what to do to help Saltmarsh, so she follows Wake, eager to help when she figures out how.

Gorik scans the emblazened area to look for those in need of assistance both inside buildings or either outside folk too frail to move to safety on their own.

Perception: 18 

(assuming a high roll would find those trapped inside a building while a low roll only finds those outside) 

Gorik rushes in to assist those in need.

When Ariana sees Gorik rush into a burning building, she follows to help.

All - The combined efforts of Kulogall and Wake casting shape water propels the boat quickly toward the docks. The boat practically stands on end as it surges forth and sends a large wave crashing onto one of the burning structures as it reaches the dock, partially dousing the flames. While you're still climbing out of the boat and tying it off, you see  five humans dash out from between two buildings on your left. A limping man and three young children race across the street into more shadows, and a woman carrying a round shield and a broken spear turns and faces back in the direction from which they came. Five large hairy shapes spew forth from the shadows on the family’s heels and fan out around the woman, who looks determined to delay the creatures for as long as possible. The shapes are humanoid and bipedal, roughly 7ft tall. Their faces end in fanged snouts and their bodies are covered in dense spotted fur. They cackle, snarl, and yip as they surround the woman. You see similarly shaped forms running amuck through the smoke, torches and weaponry in hand.

Let's roll for initiative!

Woman: 14

Gnoll 1: 17

Gnoll 2: 2

Gnoll 3: 19

Gnoll Witherling: 11

Gnoll Hunter: 3 

Elwyn initiative: 22
Azure initiative: 10

Ruby initiative: 5 

Wake’s Initiative (you know the drill, Vigilant Blessing and all): 11

Ariana initiative: 16 

Kulogall initiative:  3 

Gorik initiative: 9

The initiative order is as follows:

1. Ruby
2. Gorik
3. Gnoll 3
4. Ariana
5. Gnoll 1
6. Woman
7. Azure
8. Wake
9. Gnoll Witherling
10. Elwyn
11. Kulogall
12. Gnoll Hunter
13. Gnoll 2

Ruby is up! Followed by Gorik, then Gnoll 3.